European here. Tipping is not already included in the price of the meal. Living wage is included in the price of the meal.
Tips is completely voluntary, if you think the service was excellent then you really just round up to the nearest nice round number (something like 22.85 becomes 25)
Tipping is not already included in the price of the meal. Living wage is included in the price of the meal.
That is the tip. In the US, "tipped" labor often has a reduced minimum wage, under the expectation that they make the difference up in tips.
Yup, something like $2.50/hr, when federal minimum wage is ~$7.50. If a server doesn't make minimum wage, the restaurant is required to step them up.
It's a stupid system IMO, because not leaving a tip is a giant slap in the face, when it really should just mean "you did just okay." If the service is really that bad, I will complain and expect a comp or something on the bill, so the bill should reflect "good enough" service. I'd actually like to pay tips if it actually meant "fantastic service," like putting up with my screaming children, convincing the cook to make something off-menu, or still providing good service when we're not spending much (we don't drink, and that's like 50% of the bill). I'd prefer to tip based on the service, not on the size of the bill.
Oh, and if we had such a system, not taxing tips would make a ton of sense since it's pretty literally a gift.
To add to that I'd say there's no drama attached to not leaving a tip.
Totally, waiters don’t expect a tip at all. So if it’s given, it’s appreciated even more.
My guy/gal/pal.
We do things differently in different parts of Europe.
You’re right, I made the same mistake as OP. There is no “European system of tipping”.
Well, a lot of restaurants add a few percent tip to large parties in my experience (and some try to start that shit for tables of 4).
But that means if I don't tip they'll think I thought the service wasn't excellent :(
i you mean it, tip 10-15% of the bill! (often the "living wage" is still precarious.)
Tipping culture should die.
I'd rather have meals on the menu be what I pay. Include tax, service fees, and other garbage fees.
I went to Japanese restaurant in NYC. They took my card and they returned it. I asked about the tip. They said it was all included. Fucking dream.
Not being an American the whole idea of not including tax in the stated price just seems so alien. You expect me to work out what 12.5% of my bill is on the fly as I'm shopping? Fuck you, that's your job. You are the one actually paying the tax to the government, you work it out
You are the one actually paying the tax to the government, you work it out
Also they would only have to do it once per item, shoppers have to do it every time!
We generally tip 15% or 20%, depending on quality of service, 10% if it's bad but not atrocious. And that's pretty easy:
- 10% - just move the decimal place once
- 20% - move the decimal place once and double
- 15% - in the middle of the first two (or move decimal place once, cut in half, and add that to the 10% figure)
Thia is where you should name and praise the restaurant
All hail Kermit, the Japanese restaurant
Sugarfish. They have to two in NYC. I've been to both.
Waiters are against it as they may get way more than if they were paid by the owner. Also they automatically get raises when menu prices increases.
What blows my mind is that American do tip everywhere and also give cash to some workers at the end of the year (mail man, garbage man,.. Etc).
There is a korean place I love in a city in a neighboring state. Worth driving over an hour to get that sweet sweet meal with tax included.
They took my card and they returned it
Welcome to 2000 ? I cant remember the last time i carried a card, wtf.
I have 1 credit card on my phone. I carry 1 debit card, my driver's license, and about 4 other credit cards with me.
I really don't like the idea of losing my phone and my only way of paying for things at the same time. At least if I lose my phone, I can still pay for stuff. If I lose my wallet, I can still use my phone to pay for stuff or to call.
I have a physical copy of my car insurance and I also have it on my phone.
Tips included in the price of the meal? You mean the meal being the actual price instead of the tips being part of the payment for the meal?
increase prices
people have to pay more money
How has no one thought of this
Tips aren't included in the meal prices over here (Wales), our servers just get paid actual wages for the actual job that they're doing.
And then no one goes because it's too expensive. People are super, super price sensitive when it comes to food and restaurants go into a death spiral very quickly when business drops off.
These places typically tell you that’s the deal, and have the servers tell you that too
There's literally no profit? Like aside from already running a successful restaurant (hard), doing this will earn the business owner no extra income.
It is still based af because then the wait staff gets paid a lot more
Aw yeah, this is big brain time
The tipping culture is very rooted in Americans. I was at restaurant in Europe and there was a customer (certainly American). He ate during 30 minutes or less, the waiter was nice but he wasn't doing it for tips and the customer only saw him when he ordered the food and at payment. The prices are high end.
When he paid he was surprised that there was no tipping options (unfortunately we started seeing them in some European countries) and asked him to pay another 10€.
In Spain, a server was nice to us, and even though I know tipping isn't necessary, I gave extra. The server returned the money and gave us tips of how not to get pick pocketed. I guess they think tippers are easily scammed.
I forgot the name of the restaurant though. We sat in the bar and we ordered a bunch of small dishes, like open sandwiches. It was really nice.
wouldn't this mean less profit? unless you steal all the tips
Yup, that's the joke. And it happens more than you likely think.
Saved.
OOP jokes, but I've went to one or two restaurants that tried to do that in the past. I deducted the pre-included tip from the optional tip, and then never went to those restaurants again
This has big "ill pay $20 if it has free shipping, but won't pay $15 + $5 shipping" energy.
Id rather buy food from a restaurant that doesn't need tipping and is more expensive because they pay their workers fair wage instead of a place where the workers feel like they have to do the food service equivalent of pan handling on the side of the street.
They get paid the same. One is less dehumanizing.
Leaving your wage up to a fickle customer is hell. Getting paid less because the cooks accidentally overcooked the customers steak so they felt like they werent "treated well" or some bs is ridiculous.
(The bottom half of this rant isnt aimed at you, but at tipping in general)
You misunderstand. I'm willing - excited, even - to have restaurants that charge more upfront. I'm not willing to pay double the expected tip just because the restaurant hoped to hide additional costs in the bill and hoped that the payer wouldn't see it. In case my original comment was not clear enough, that was what they tried doing. 15% gratuity tacked on in small letters at the end of the bill, and this charge was never mentioned at any point, and there was additional space to add tip (of course, with the recommended option being 15% after the 15% gratuity). The sum of the pre-included tip and the tip that I gave is equivalent to tip that I would have given had restaurant not tried this kind of shady bullshit. So I fail to see how I've done the workers of the restaurant any wrong.
I choose not to revisit that restaurant for their shady business practices, not because I was unwilling to pay a mandatory tip. Given the original post, I figured that that was clear that that was what I had meant. Clearly I was mistaken.
You both said the same thing. If tip is included in the price, then there is no need to tip additionally.
Yeah, fuck those restaurants for paying their workers a living wage! My wallet comes first!
for the cognitively impaired
/s
